InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inuyasha: Revenge ❯ Chapter 8: Miroku's Feelings ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8: Miroku's Feelings

"This place is really huge!" Kagome said as she looked around the place.
"Indeed!" Sango agreed as she scanned the entire area.

The house allotted to the group was definitely of some ruler but not some king, it was of the queen of the area who was long dead. The house was a huge one, it could be referred to as a palace, much bigger than thought by the group previously. It had a shrine at its entrance.

The palace was bounded by walls on four sides except the northern part which was destroyed, maybe, by bandits who are known to frequently visit such villages in the coasts. The opening in the northern wall led to a different area but the group didn't bother to give it a visit.

Everyone walked around, looking at the majestic palace and the various other attractive things associated with it. But Miroku didn't wander here and there. Ever since he had come to the palace only one thing attracted him and distracted him from every other thing in the palace. It drew him towards it. It was none other than the shrine, which was located at the entrance of the palace.

"Let's go Miroku," Sango said tugging at his arms.

Miroku was about to enter the shrine when Sango called.

"Yeah, let's go Sango but wait... WHERE shall we GO?!" Miroku asked in amazement as he turned back to face Sango.
"To the market of course, to buy me Kimonos," Sango replied, still gripping his arm.
"Kimonos?!" Miroku was dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of the name.
"Yes, Kimonos!" Sango vigorously mentioned the name again.
"But-"
"You're going to buy me a Kimono and that's final!" Sango dragged him with her.

"Make that two, Sango," Kagome came running towards the demon slayer and the monk.

Helpless, Miroku looked towards Inuyasha, who was looking on at the misery of the monk, for some assistance but he turned away and began his walk towards the palace.

"Alright let's go," Miroku sighed a heavy sigh.

He took the two girls to the market and in the Kimono shop he met Master Yoshi.

"Hello Sir Monk," the courteous old man greeted Miroku upon seeing him.
"As you are seeing, good Lord, my wife here and Lady Kagome have brought me to buy them Kimonos," Miroku said turning his head towards the Kimonos that were on display.
"I can arrange them for free, good monk," Yoshi said with an overflow of generosity. "After all you are our guest here."
"That would be really-" Miroku couldn't finish as Sango pulled him away towards the Kimonos she and Kagome had chosen.
"I will have this white Kimono," Sango said. "And this indigo one is for Kagome."

Sango's eyes had a gleam of expectation.

"Have them then. They look good." Miroku said in a tone which didn't have the same level of excitement as Sango had.

"You should take this pale green one over here," Kagome told Sango, pointing towards the Kimono which was kept separated from the rest.
"Wow! That's beautiful indeed!" Miroku tried to show that he eagerly wanted to buy the Kimono for his wife but his tone suggested otherwise.

"Then I will definitely have it!" Sango gleefully agreed without much knowledge of her husband's thoughts.
"Of course!" Miroku chuckled, as a consequence of a thought that crossed his mind.
"Huh?!" Sango didn't quite understand the reason behind Miroku's reaction. But she didn't bother to ask either. She was happy to get a new Kimono.

After the girls' needs in the market were satisfied, they went back to the palace and Miroku finally got some free time to spend in the shrine. The girls didn't bother him anymore. They were showing off their new clothes to Inuyasha and Shippo, who were much tired after fighting for almost the entire time Miroku and the girls had gone out.

Occasionally any one of the four, inside the palace gave out screams but those didn't affect Mioku. He was much engrossed in thinking about different things. The shrine was, as if, making him remember the days of his past. He remembered about his father, how he had died after the wind tunnel sucked him in. He remembered the day when he first met Inuyasha and Kagome, then Sango, the incidents after that. From almost losing Sango to another man, well, he didn't know then that Sango too longed for him, to the harsh time they faced in Mount Hakurei, which made their bond stronger and finally their final battle with Naraku. He thought about his wind tunnel's curse...he was finally rid of it.

"My wind tunnel..." Miroku looked at his right hand. "Naraku, you took the curse along with you to hell..." He removed the prayer beads from the hand. "It was supposed to suck me in...into the void...but it didn't..." He put back the beads. "But I do keep these beads and this gauntlet...you know why? I feel you're still lurking out there! Waiting for an opportunity to rise again!"

These were the feelings Miroku had been nurturing ever since Naraku disappeared into the infinite flames of hell, taking the curse along with him.

"Inuyasha is always there...to protect...and so is Kagome...but...what about me? Am I that weak! Sango has to protect me!"

He simply wanted to be prepared for any sort of situation. And that's why he sought power. He never let anyone know about his feelings, not even Sango. He hid them in the deepest corners of his heart. He tried to suppress them as much as he could. And more often than not he succeeded. Seldom did Sango notice Miroku buried in deep thought. But he managed to avert any sort of disclosure.

In his village he didn't get much time to think all things over. He was much occupied in work and looking after his children to ponder about his past. But those thoughts lingered and he gave them space to come out and express themselves. Often at night he would go out of his house and sit by the bone-eater's well and there he would gaze at the stars, thinking about his past.

"Lord Buddha, in my life I never sought your advice...but now I feel weary...I feel weak! Terribly weak..."

Miroku was letting out all his emotions in front of Buddha's idol.

"What must I do? Is there no way to get rid of my weakness? I don't seek power! I simply want to share the responsibility...that's all..."

The lifeless statue of Buddha was listening to him.

"Back then my curse served as a blessing...I met Sango because of it...I fought alongside her. I know no one's there to bother us now...But something tells me there is someone or something out there... sooner rather than later it will strike! I must be prepared for it... but how?"

He was keeping all his queries in front of Buddha's statue. He found many answers to his heart's queries...himself... but most of the questions remained as questions; most of the riddles remained unsolved. But his soul was getting the peace in front of Buddha...by disclosing what he never disclosed before...

"Miroku," It was Sango's voice.